May 9, 2017

Y’all know how obsessed I am about skincare. Before I start posting about my latest finds, I thought it would be important to lay some groundwork.

I was shocked to find out how terrible U.S. regulations are for the personal care industry. Only 11 ingredients are banned here in the states, while Europe bans over 1400 ingredients. The FDA does not review personal care products for safety before they hit the market. This is just freaken nuts. Here are some of the questions I asked myself when I found out this was true.

Why do companies use terrible ingredients to begin with? Well, for starters they are cheaper than using quality ingredients. They are trying to drive down product costs to make a cheap buck off of you. You mean I’m just a dollar sign to them? Not that hard to believe right? Another reason is to mask a way a product smells. We’re trained to only like those lotions that smell like “Sun-Kissed Mango and Pineapple,” but did you know it can take anywhere from 50-300 chemical ingredients to create a scent? These chemicals also help to extend the shelf-life of products. Your beauty products should not be sitting in your makeup bag for years, throw them out.

Why should I care? Your skin is your body’s largest organ and what you apply to it absorbs into your bloodstream. It’s a common misconception to think that your skin is a barrier that protects you because it’s actually porous, so yep everything just sinks right in. Many of the chemical ingredients used in personal care are linked to hormonal imbalances, infertility, birth defects, and cancer to name a few. So long story short, this is bad news bears.

What do I do now? Read your labels and self-educate. Remember that just because a product calls itself non-toxic, natural, eco-safe, and even fragrance-free, does not mean it is entirely safe. Companies can call their products whatever they want for the sake of “green-washing” and so often times you’ll have to take matters into your own hands. Luckily there are apps like Think Dirty and EWG that help to rate products for safety.

It was hard not to “unsee” all the terrible products I was using everyday, but especially after having Ry, I wanted to make sure everything we used as a family was safe. It took awhile to throw everything out and transition over — just think about everything your skin touches: shampoo, handsoap, deodorant, eyeliner, lipstick, cleansers, moisturizers, toothpaste…oh mah gah it was so overwhelming at first, but it had to be done and I can sleep much better at night now.